Solvothermal preparation and characterization of ordered-mesoporous ZrO2/TiO2 composites for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes

Abstract

ZrO2/TiO2 composites with an ink-bottle mesoporous structure were synthesized by a mild solvothermal method without high-temperature calcination. Many caves in this ink-bottle structure can adsorb organic groups, making them suitable for catalytic materials. The effects of ZrO2 additions and particle size on the morphology and catalytic performance of composite powders were investigated. Comparative experiments on changing the particle size and the content of ZrO2 show that the TiO2-10 wt% ZrO2 composite has outstanding photocatalytic performance under simulated sunlight, especially when the particle size of as-prepared ZrO2 is on the submicron scale. By mixing two different n-type semiconductors of ZrO2 and TiO2, a new heterostructure is formed to hinder the autonomous recombination of excited electron-hole pairs, improving photocatalytic activity.